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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29670687">Conversations, Conversations, in the Early Morning Glow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonder_womans_ex/pseuds/wonder_womans_ex'>wonder_womans_ex</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sweater Weather - Lumosinlove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming Out, Gen, Inspired by Sweater Weather | Coast to Coast - lumosinlove, James Potter is a Good Friend, James Potter-centric, James and Sirius are bros - Freeform, James is a mum friend; we all know this, M/M, Sirius is smitten, and he makes really bad coffee, au that they weren't outed, cw food mention, cw minor injury, however he is also a little shit, mostly - Freeform, this timeline is all over the place</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:20:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29670687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonder_womans_ex/pseuds/wonder_womans_ex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well, my advice, which is flawed at the best of times, would be to just tell him. But if you were planning on doing that, then chances are you wouldn’t have come to me in the first place.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter &amp; Sirius Black, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Conversations, Conversations, in the Early Morning Glow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of all the things James was expecting to see today, Sirius Black sitting on his couch at five-thirty in the morning was certainly not one of them. <b><br/></b></p><p> </p><p>He had been prepared to get up early, make some coffee and maybe an omelette, and head out for a quick jog before practice. But when he turned on the light, there Sirius was, one leg propped up over his knee, fingers drumming nervously on the sole of his shoe. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius looked up. They stared at each other for a moment, and then James took off his glasses and put them back on again. “Hello,” he said. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius bothered with none of the preamble. “How do you tell someone you’re in love with them?” </p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m in love with someone and I want to tell them so, but I don’t know how.”</p><p> </p><p>After taking a moment to process this information, James walked over to the kitchen. “I need caffeine for this conversation,” he said, glancing backward over his shoulder. “Want a coffee?”</p><p> </p><p>“I—yeah. Sure. No sugar—”</p><p> </p><p>“Lots of milk. I know.” </p><p> </p><p>They grinned at each other, but Sirius’s smile was slightly… off. There was something tense about it, almost like he was holding back. </p><p> </p><p>The coffee machine whirred quietly to life, red light blinking on, and James grabbed two mugs from the cupboard: the <em>WORLD’S BEST DAD</em> one Kuny had given him after Harry’s birth, and the one with the rubber ducks Sirius always used. He filled the kettle with water, flipped the switch on the side, and finally spun around to face his friend. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius had hopped up to sit on the counter and was swinging his legs slightly, bumping them in turns against the dishwasher; his gaze was focused somewhere on the floor in front of him. James paused for a moment before walking over and sitting beside him. “If Lily catches us, we’re both toast,” he said, finally, trying to lighten the mood. The corners of Sirius’s lips twitched up only slightly, and that was when James knew something was truly bothering him. </p><p> </p><p>“So.” The two of them took a breath almost in unison. “I’m going to need some backstory here. Are you in a relationship with this person? Are you merely admiring from afar?”</p><p> </p><p>“In a relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>No matter what he had asked, James had assumed Sirius was merely harbouring a crush. He’d thought that surely, if Sirius was dating someone, he’d say something about it. “You have a girlfriend? And you didn’t tell me?” </p><p> </p><p>“That’s the other thing.” A pause, like he was working up the courage to say something. “I’m gay, James.”</p><p> </p><p>For the second time that morning, James took a moment to process this. He arranged his face—or tried to, anyway—into an expression that less resembled someone who had recently run into a brick wall, and then he put a reassuring hand on Sirius’s shoulder. “You have a boyfriend? And you didn’t tell me?”</p><p> </p><p>The look of relief Sirius gave him was both immense and immediate. “Well, it’s pretty recent. Only a few months, really—since my birthday—and… I was scared. I’m still scared, but not as much as I was. But I love him. I really, really love him, and I want him to know that.”</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, James slid forward off the counter to pour the now-boiling water into the top of the coffee machine. “Is it anyone I know? Is he from Gryffindor?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you know him. It’s—well, it’s Loops.”</p><p> </p><p>“Remus?” James jerked his hand backwards, away from the spill of hot water from the kettle. He hissed in pain when a drop landed on his wrist. “Remus Lupin? Our PT?” </p><p> </p><p>“One and the same.” Even without looking, he could hear the smile in Sirius’s voice. </p><p> </p><p>“And you want to tell him you love him?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” </p><p> </p><p>“And you came to me for advice?” </p><p> </p><p>Sirius leaned over and smacked his arm. “I can’t tell whether you’re insulting yourself or me more.” </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up. But in all ser—sincerity… does he love you, too?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think so,” Sirius said, biting his lip. “I hope he does, anyway. I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t.” </p><p> </p><p>James whistled quietly, not wanting to risk waking Harry. A crying child was the last thing either of them needed. “God, you’ve got it bad, haven’t you?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Look.” James crossed his arms, staring Sirius right in the eyes. “I’m only going to say this once. You are my best friend. You are the third most important person in my life, falling just behind my wife-to-be and my son. If I had to pick one person to be stranded with on a deserted island, the only reason I would not choose you is that I think we would die within a week because neither of us actually has that much common sense. That being said, there are very few situations in which I would not trust you with my life. In the words of the youth, you are my bro.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why is this starting to sound like a marriage proposal?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck off. The point is, Pads, you deserve the best of the best. You deserve someone you love and who loves you. If that’s Loops, that’s amazing and I support you. If it ends up not being him, I’ll be here for you, and I’ll make sure any future boyfriends you may have don’t break your heart. Got that?”</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, Sirius said nothing, and James grew more and more worried by the second. “Cap? You okay?” </p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m <em>not</em> okay, you fucker; I’m crying.”</p><p> </p><p>“I hope they’re happy tears.” </p><p> </p><p>“What do you think?” Swiping the back of his hand across his eyes, Sirius let a grin spread across his face. “Are we supposed to bro hug now?” </p><p> </p><p>“You know what; why not.” Even just two years ago, they would have put their arms around each other nervously before awkwardly pulling away again (hell, two years ago Sirius probably wouldn’t have suggested it in the first place), but now they were miles past that, James even rubbing a noogie onto the crown of Sirius’s head. </p><p> </p><p>“Coffee machine looks like it’s about to overflow.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, thanks.” There was a comfortable silence as James poured out two mugs of coffee and added milk (Sirius’s) and sugar (his own), not broken until Sirius, mug in hand, said quietly, “How do you think I should tell him?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, my advice, which is flawed at the best of times, would be to just tell him. But if you were planning on doing that, then chances are you wouldn’t have come to me in the first place.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want it to be… I dunno. Romantic.” Sirius raised his coffee to his lips, taking a sip. “This is the worst coffee I have ever had in my life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, duh. For the romantic part, I mean. Not the coffee.”</p><p> </p><p>Laughing under his breath, Sirius poked him. “Try it. It sucks.”</p><p> </p><p>“It does <em>not</em>—oh.”</p><p> </p><p>“Told you so.”</p><p> </p><p>James was halfway through pouring his coffee down the drain when Sirius’s phone rang. Both men froze. </p><p> </p><p>“Who is it?”</p><p> </p><p>Sirius fished the phone out of his pocket, checking the caller ID. He visibly relaxed at what he saw, swiping up to answer. “It’s Remus,” he whispered. </p><p> </p><p>It was only thanks to the silence of the house that James could hear the voice on the other end of the line. </p><p> </p><p>“Baby?” Remus asked. “I’m, uh, I’m at your house—I bused—and, um, your car’s not here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, fuck, is it six already?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” After a moment, he added, “Where are you?” </p><p> </p><p>“At the Potters’. I’m with James.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>A smile flickered over Sirius’s face. “Yeah. I’m great. I… I came out to him.” </p><p> </p><p>James held his breath until—”Oh,” said Remus. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh? Is that—is that okay? Should I have waited—”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, of course not,” Remus assured him, the emotion in his voice audible even through the speaker. “I’m just surprised. And I’m proud. God, baby, I’m so fucking proud of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m proud of me, too.” </p><p> </p><p>“As you should be. Hey, I’m hugging you right now. You feel that? That’s my arms. And now I’m kissing you. Okay?” </p><p> </p><p>Sirius actually <em>giggled</em>, a sound James had never heard him make before. “I’m kissing you back.”</p><p> </p><p>James wasn’t sure whether he grabbed the phone to put at least a temporary stop to all the mushiness, or whether his intention stayed the same all along. In any case, the first thing he said after wresting it out of Sirius’s grasp and pressing it to his own ear was “If you hurt my bro, I’ll kill you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, James.”</p><p> </p><p>“Got it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I got it. But between you and me—and Sirius, I guess, ‘cause he’s probably listening, too—if I ever hurt him, I think I’d die before you even chose your weapon.”</p><p> </p><p>When James glanced over, he saw that Sirius’s eyes were shining.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Remus added. “And please send Cap back over here. He’s not just my boyfriend; he’s my ride to practice.”</p><p> </p><p>“You got it.” He waited until Remus hung up to say, “Hey, Sirius?”</p><p> </p><p>Sirius took the phone when James held it out to him. “Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Get out of my house and go get your man.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Oui</em>.” He slid off the countertop, landing on the floor with a slight thud. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, and one more thing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“What Loops said? Over the phone? If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”</p><p> </p><p>He got a grin for that, but he also got an elbow in the ribs as Sirius passed by him. “I’m going to tell him. Today.”</p><p> </p><p>“You do that.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wish me luck. I’ll see you at practice.” </p><p> </p><p>“See you,” James said, leaning against the doorframe. “And you’ve already got all the luck you need.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t forgotten. He really hadn’t. He’d just had a lot on his mind, and Sirius’s promise of <em>‘today’</em> was pushed to the back. But when Cap’s car pulled into the parking lot with Loops in the passenger’s seat, it was brought immediately to the front again. He watched as they shared a warm, private smile, eyes not breaking contact for almost ten seconds. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as they walked through the arena doors, James was there to ambush them. “Good morning, gentlemen.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wipe that smirk off your face.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, we are temperamental today.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s because of your godawful coffee.”</p><p> </p><p>“Touché.” </p><p> </p><p>Sirius smacked his arm. “I’m serious—and <em>please</em> don’t make that pun. I would like to be left alone with my boyfriend, with whom I am very much in love.”</p><p> </p><p>“All right, all right!” James said, raising his arms in mock surrender. Go make out in the PT room; I won’t stop you.” </p><p> </p><p>Remus smiled when Sirius turned to him. “Yeah, sure, we can do that later. You go ahead—I need to talk to Pots for a sec.”</p><p> </p><p>“‘Kay. Love ya.”</p><p> </p><p>“Love you, too.”</p><p> </p><p>Waiting until Sirius disappeared down the hallway to speak, Remus pursed his lips, trying to smother a grin. “Thank you,” he said, finally. “That—how accepting you are, I mean—means a lot to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know.” </p><p> </p><p>“No, really. You were the first… you’re the only person he’s told, other than me. Coming out to you—it really goes to show how much more comfortable he is with himself. When we got together… well, he’s really come a long way.” </p><p> </p><p>James waited for a moment, sorting through the emotions in his head. “The thing is… I made him feel like I <em>wouldn’t</em> be accepting. This morning, when we were talking, he said he was scared. I’m part of the reason he was scared.” Already, Remus was shaking his head. “He wasn’t scared you wouldn’t be accepting; he was scared of other people finding out. No, not of you telling people. Just that they’d find out.”</p><p> </p><p>“That literally makes no sense.”</p><p>“Look, James, the way he grew up—if there’s one thing he learned it’s that if you tell one, you’ve told them all. He came out when he was ready to come out. Maybe not to the world—not yet—but to you.”</p><p> </p><p>He nodded slowly. “I think I’ve got it. Oh—and, Remus?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“He makes you really happy, doesn’t he?” </p><p> </p><p>“Really happy.” Even without the words, Remus’s grin would have said it all. </p><p> </p><p>“You make him happy, too. Happier than I’ve seen him in a long time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks—” </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t mess it up.” </p><p> </p><p>Remus laughed. “I should have known. Trust me, though, Pots; I’ve got no intention too.”</p><p> </p><p>That seemed to be that—James made his way to the locker room, catching Sirius’s eyes upon entry and winking. Sirius simply rolled his eyes and walked over, bumping their shoulders together. “What did you guys talk about?”</p><p> </p><p>James didn’t even try to lie. “You, mostly.” </p><p> </p><p>“Should have guessed.” Glancing away briefly, Sirius lowered his voice to barely more than a whisper. “Thanks, by the way.” </p><p> </p><p>“For what?” </p><p> </p><p>“Bullying me into telling Loops I love him?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, that was mostly you. I just kind of stood there and let you talk at me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck off.” </p><p> </p><p>“Really, though.” James was only partly joking when he added, “I’ll be here for you again when you want to propose.”</p><p> </p><p>A red flush spread across Sirius’s cheeks. “Maybe not for a while yet,” he said, smiling straight ahead at the jersey hanging in his locker. “But someday.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading!</p><p>come find me on tumblr: <a href="https://wonder-womans-ex.tumblr.com/">wonder-womans-ex</a></p><p>asks are always open :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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